Freedom Fighter Podcast
At the Freedom Fighters Podcast, we passionately believe in freedom—not just as a concept, but as a calling. We believe that God, our forefathers, and our own choices lay the foundation for the freedoms we enjoy today. This podcast is our way of exploring what it really means to live free—financially, personally, and spiritually.
Each episode dives into the real stories of people who are fighting for something bigger than themselves. We believe true financial freedom comes from faithfulness, integrity, and the courage to keep going, even when life gets hard. Through honest conversations and powerful lessons, we share the tools, strategies, and mindset shifts that help others pursue freedom on their own terms.
We’re here to grow, to give, and to open doors for others. Because when one of us breaks free, it creates a ripple effect. And we believe that kind of freedom is always worth the fight.
Freedom Fighter Podcast
50 Miles of Purpose: How Hitting Rock Bottom Created a Movement
After leaving the military, Jay Morales found himself struggling with civilian life, dealing with the weight of loss, financial struggles, and a lack of direction. His journey from homelessness to leadership is nothing short of inspiring. In this episode, we dive into how adversity shaped his mission, leading to the creation of the 50 Mile March, a movement dedicated to supporting veterans in need.
From personal battles with validation and identity to the birth of a powerful nonprofit, Jay’s story is a testament to resilience, faith, and servant leadership. Join us as we explore the impact of finding purpose through struggle, the power of community-driven change, and the life-saving role of connection for veterans in crisis.
📌 Key Topics:
✅ Navigating life after military service and the struggles of transition
✅ The harsh realities of homelessness and overcoming rock bottom
✅ How faith and servant leadership played a role in rebuilding purpose
✅ The creation of the 50 Mile March and its mission to support veterans
✅ The cultural shift in veteran support and community engagement
✅ The power of connection in overcoming mental health challenges
✅ How structured commitments like the 50 Mile March build discipline and resilience
✅ Lessons in entrepreneurship and building movements from the ground up
✅ The importance of recognizing and addressing hidden struggles in others
🎬 Chapters:
00:00 Navigating Life After Military Service
11:33 The Struggles of Transitioning to Civilian Life
21:45 Finding Purpose Through Adversity
31:47 The Birth of the 50 Mile March
40:49 Cultural Shifts in Veteran Support
41:47 Building Community and Support
43:39 Bridging the Gap: Nonprofits and Community Support
47:17 Building a Community of Hope
51:41 The Journey of Entrepreneurship
53:20 The Vision for Future Expansion
56:19 Engaging with Veterans: The Power of Connection
01:02:01 Overcoming Mental Health Challenges
01:02:57 Navigating Conversations Around Mental Health
01:08:32 Finding Faith in Times of Struggle
01:12:16 Faith and Family: A Personal Journey
01:17:32 The Power of Servant Leadership
01:19:56 Building a Community: The 50 Mile March
01:27:27 Training for Commitment: Preparing for the March
01:32:50 Overcoming Obstacles: The Journey of Self-Discovery
01:41:09 Gratitude and Connection: The Heart of Service
I can do a whole master class on how to engage with those who are needing our help the most and how to be efficient. I think we do a lot of good things, but I think you can be also detrimental if you handle it incorrectly. People end up blaming themselves for things that they have no control over too. I don't think you can ever blame yourself for wanting to help somebody, but you have to engage in the right way. Worst case, make a mistake and make them angry. That's cool. And if they're your real friend, guess what? They'll still be your real friend. And if they're not, they'll go back to the point of origin and it's better than not saying anything.
Jay, welcome. Appreciate you coming in and, hearing your story and diving into 50 mile march. just, uh, released a social media post trying to raise some money for it. So we'll, kind of get your story of how it came to creation and get some more info out there. If you want to start us off. Yeah, you know, it's funny because you never know where to start a podcast, right? You want to put your best foot forward, but jump right in. Um, 10 years in the air force got out in 1998 went through a really bad divorce. Uh, the transition was really hard. Um, I was, I had everything done for me, right? Like here's where you need to be.
Here's where what's going to happen next. Stop thinking what we thought for you, just be part of the system, which actually didn't realize how much structure was there till I left. So when I left, got a divorce, things fell apart, you know, really bad, went to a tough time in my life, 10 months, just, you know, I couldn't believe that I took the uniform off and then I had a hard transition. You know what I mean? Cause I would always hear about it, you know, and
There was no addiction, no drugs, nothing like that. was just, it was probably more of a pity party. Like how did this happen? And, Gary, can I sleep over your house? And Hey, Melinda and Tammy, you know, Hey, I'm just going to crash just for the next week. And then it turned into sleeping in your car, then sleeping in, you know, Ben Franklin hotel there in Bellevue, you know, I just remember it was like, it was like 57 bucks.
It was hard to let go of that 57 bucks. You know what I mean? That one couple nights there and showering where he could shower and, and my friend said, Hey, you're going to live at my house and you're going to clean my basement. You're going to trim the grass. had a pushmore at the time. You know, the manual one was like, no, I don't know. It was, you know, that, that one that you have to get revved up. And I was like, and I felt, and you're going to wash my car. You're going to wash your car. You're going to walk our dog. You're going to bring our kids to school.